Qualcomm Rebrands Its Snapdragon Processors… Almost

Qualcomm has set about rebranding its Snapdragon processors. It’s keeping the name, but instead wants people to refer to the whole SoC instead of just the processor itself. This is supposedly because Snapdragon as a whole has expanded to mean far more than the CPU.

The reasoning is simple:

“In truth, Snapdragon is more than a single component, a piece of silicon, or what many would misinterpret as the CPU; it’s an anthology of technology, comprising hardware, software, and services that are not fully captured in a word like “processor.” That is why Qualcomm Technologies is refining our terminology by referring to Snapdragon as a “platform” instead of a processor.”

From now on, Qualcomm refers to Snapdragon as a mobile platform. One that encompasses not only the processor, but also the modem, GPU, DSP, Quick Charge, touch controller, and essentially anything else the company can squeeze onto the chip. For the most part, this changes nothing for the average consumer.

That said, the Snapdragon 200 line of processors is actually receiving a name change. Going forward, it will be known as the Snapdragon Mobile family. There’s no mention of why this only applies to the 200 series, but Qualcomm has not touched on the rest of its current Snapdragon line.